Local business steps up to help Zuni Pueblo flood victims

A local business in the area is stepping up with PPE and cleaning supplies for Zuni Pueblo families after flooding damaged at least 20 homes, with some taking on 2 feet of water. The help follows days of monsoon rain that pushed water across Old Gallup Road, St. Anthony Road, Chavez Circle and the State Highway 53 corridor, where evacuations were ordered and the Zuni Community Center was turned into a shelter.

The recovery moved quickly from evacuation to emergency response. On July 22, the Pueblo of Zuni issued a shelter-in-place alert as rain moved back into the area, and by July 23 tribal leaders had issued an emergency declaration after the latest round of flooding. Gov. Arden Kucate said many residents were reluctant to leave their homes, a problem that slowed evacuation efforts even as officials pushed people away from flooded streets and low-lying homes.

The immediate needs are practical. Families dealing with soaked floors, damaged walls and muddy belongings need the supplies that let them safely clean out their homes, and the local business effort is focused on those basics: PPE and cleaning materials. A KRQE video item also referenced a fundraiser started by a Zuni Pueblo man for the same items, pointing to a recovery effort built around small, direct donations rather than long-term projects.

The damage did not stop at the pueblo line. KRQE also reported that a second flood in a week damaged businesses in Gallup on July 21, showing how widespread the monsoon impact had become across McKinley County. For Zuni families and Gallup business owners alike, the costs were immediate, from damaged homes to interrupted commerce, and the first wave of help centered on shelter, protective gear and the supplies needed to clear floodwater from the places people live and work.